Elise Rapoza is MassINC’s senior research associate. Under the supervision of the research director, Elise assists with the execution of policy studies on a variety of topics of importance to the residents and organizations of the Commonwealth. With dual master’s degrees in statistics and public policy analysis, her expertise lies in research methodology and advanced analytical techniques. She has authored many reports informing state-level policymaking, including analyses of emerging industries, clean technology, housing, and workforce development.

Prior to joining MassINC, Elise was the ARPA Director for the City of New Bedford, helping to navigate the regulatory and public engagement aspects of deploying $83 million of federal COVID relief funding and managing staff and consultants across several city departments. Before then, she spent seven years in policy research, first for the John Adams Innovation Institute of the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative, and later as the Senior Research Associate at UMass Dartmouth’s Public Policy Center.

Elise completed her master’s degrees at Oregon State University and was a Commonwealth Scholar at UMass Dartmouth, completing a bachelor’s degree in “Quantitative Public Policy Analysis” (a customized multidisciplinary track) and graduating summa cum laude. She resides in New Bedford.